Archdiocese weighs bankruptcy filing

Facing lawsuits, cardinal’s aides urge Chapter 11

The Archdiocese of Boston is preparing to take the extraordinary step of filing for bankruptcy, as hopes fade for a settlement with an estimated 450 alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse, according to a senior church official and two sources close to the archdiocese.

Cardinal Bernard F. Law, who has been involved in discussions about the prospect, has yet to give his approval. But his senior advisers are united in the view that seeking protection in US Bankruptcy Court is preferable to a damaging and costly battle in state courts that might drag on for years, according to the official and the sources.